Up and Coming: Smidt adds Depth
The Stewartville Tigers are the defending state champions in AA. Handful of D1 recruits have come from the program; likewise, several Stewie Graduates have gone on to dominate at smaller schools. They have become so technically skilled, the entire…
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Continue ReadingThe Stewartville Tigers are the defending state champions in AA. Handful of D1 recruits have come from the program; likewise, several Stewie Graduates have gone on to dominate at smaller schools. They have become so technically skilled, the entire squad could find success after high school. This brings us to our focus athlete: Kylie Smidt.
Kylie will be a junior this coming fall and graduate in 2022. By that time she will have been on the Varsity team for four years. Last year she saw more playing time and jumped into action whenever she was called upon. Her role is similar to that of an understudy for a play. If anything would happen, the Tigers would look to her to fill in and their success wouldn’t stop.
Standby Setter: The 5’6” Smidt serves as a back-up to Jaidyn Brower Jaidyn Brower 5'8" | S Stewartville | 2021 State MN , the All-State Honorable Mention award winner. Brower is a dynamic top 100 recruit who has managed 1,000 assists and 1,000 digs. She will return as a senior for another shot at the title. When you watch Brower and Smidt set, you will notice a lot of similarities: they both jump-set everything, have a tight window and quick release, and they’re movements are precise. It is clear that Kylie could easily start at ANY other school in the conference as their main setter. We anticipate they will utilize her setting more in the future.
Dedicated Defender: When you look up Stewartville’s roster, you will notice they list her as a defensive specialist. The back-row is where she has gotten the majority of her playing time. She excels with her impeccable platform. Perfect angles, exaggerated hold, and control is what helped her earn her spot on the team. The way she protects the back-court looks effortless even when covering sideline to sideline. Coaches often like players to get to the ball without needing to dive; Kylie is a perfect example of this.
Again, having accepted a role as a defender, she has the skill to be primary passer on serve receive too. This past club season, she was pulled up to the Southern Minnesota Volleyball 18-1’s team. Teammates included fellow Tigers: Brower , Kaitlyn Prondzinski Kaitlyn Prondzinski 5'11" | MB Stewartville | 2020 State MN , and Jolie Stecher Jolie Stecher 6'0" | MB Stewartville | 2021 State MN . This was a great opportunity for Kylie, the youngest on the team, to prove she is among the best …as she demonstrates in this.incredible save.
Serving Style: The next part of her well-rounded game is done at the serving line. This past season she often served for her teammate – Stecher. Her serve is a fast paced float serve. She has mastered all of the serving zones with her advanced ball control. This left-handed serve is effective because of her consistent toss and perfect contact point. They like to have her serve for some of their big hitters because she generates long service runs.
Smidt is a skilled setter, excellent passer, consistent server, and incredible teammate on one of the best teams in AA. She makes everyone else better; we are sure she will continue to make her way onto the court in the next two years and beyond.